“But in a great house
there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and
of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore
purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified,
and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good
work.”

Many men are still even now perplexed to account for the fact, that the
wicked are suffered to remain, and are not yet destroyed. Now doubtless
various reasons may be assigned for this, as, that they may be
converted, or that by their punishment they may be made an example to
the multitude. But Paul here mentions a similar case. For he
says,

“In a great house there
are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and
earth.” Showing by this, that as in a great house it is likely
there should be a great difference of vessels, so here also, in the
whole world, for he speaks not of the Church only, but of the world at
large. For think not, I pray, that he means it of the Church; for there
he would not have any vessels of wood or of earth, but all of gold or
silver where is the body of Christ, where is that “pure virgin,
without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” (Eph. v.
27.)
And this is what he means to say: Let it not disturb thee that there
are corrupt and wicked men. For in a great house there are such
vessels. But what then? they do not receive the same honor. But some
are to honor and some to dishonor. “Nay,” says one,
“in a house they may be of some use, but not at all in the
world.” Though God employs them not for such honorable service,
he makes use of them for other purposes. For instance, the vainglorious
man builds much, so does the covetous man, the merchant, the tradesman,
the magistrate; there are certain works in the world suited to these.
But the golden vessel is not of such a nature. It is employed about the
royal table. He does not say however that wickedness is a necessary
thing, (for how should it be?) but that the wicked also have their
work. For if all were of gold or of silver, there would be no need of
the viler sort. For instance, if all were hardy, there would be no need
of houses; if all were free from luxury, there would be no need of
dainties. If all were careful only for necessaries, there would be no
need of splendid building.

“If therefore a man purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified.”
Seest thou that it is not of nature, nor of the necessity of matter, to
be a vessel of gold or of earth, but of our own choice? For otherwise
the earthen could not become gold, nor could the golden descend to the
vileness of the other. But in this case there is much change, and
alteration of state. Paul was an earthen vessel, and became a golden
one. Judas was a golden vessel, and became an earthen one. The earthen
vessels, therefore, are such from uncleanness. The fornicator and the
covetous man become earthen vessels. “But how then does he say
elsewhere, ‘We have this treasure in earthen vessels,’ so
that he does not despise but honor the earthen vessel, speaking of it
as the recipient of the treasure?” There he shows the nature
itself, and not the form of the material. For he means to say that our
body is an earthen vessel. For as earthenware is nothing else but baked
clay, so is our body nothing but clay consolidated by the heat of the
soul; for that it is earthen, is evident. For as such a vessel is often
by falling broken and dashed to pieces, so our body falls and is
dissolved by death. For how do our bones differs from a potsherd, hard
and dry as they are? or our flesh from clay, being, like it, composed
of water? But, as I said, how is it that he does not speak
contemptuously of it? Because there he is discoursing of its nature,
here of our choice. “If a man,” he says, “purge
himself from these,” not merely “cleanse,” but
“cleanse out,”13821382 ἐκκαθάρῃ. that is,
cleanse himself perfectly, “he shall be a vessel unto honor,
sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use.” The others
therefore are useless for any good purpose, though some use is made of
them. “And prepared13831383 B. “They are not, however, ‘prepared,’”
&c. unto every
good work.” Even though he do it not, he is fit for it, and has a
capacity for it. We ought therefore to be prepared for everything, even
for death, for martyrdom, for a life of virginity, or for all
these.

Not only the lust of
fornication, but every inordinate desire is a youthful lust. Let the
aged learn that they ought not to do the deeds of the youthful. If one
be given to insolence, or a lover of power, of riches, of bodily
pleasures, it is a youthful lust, and foolish. These things must
proceed from a heart not yet established, from a mind not deeply
grounded, but in a wavering state. What then does he advise in
order 497that
none may be captivated by these things? “Flee youthful”
imaginations, but

“Follow righteousness,
faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure
heart.”

What is meant by “those
that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”? It is as if he
said, Rejoice not in those who only call upon the Lord; but those who
call upon Him sincerely and unfeignedly, who have nothing of deceit
about them, who approach Him in peace, who are not contentious. With
these associate thyself. But with others be not easy, but only as far
as lies in you, be peaceable.

Do you see how he everywhere
draws him off from questions; not that he was not able to overthrow
them; for he was well able. For had he not been able he would have
said, Be diligent, that thou mayest be able to refute them; as when he
says, “Give attendance to reading, for by so doing thou shalt
both save thyself and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim. iv. 13,
16.)
But he knew that it was useless to enter at all into these disputes,
that there will be no end of it, save contentions, enmities, insults,
and reproaches. These “questions” therefore
“avoid”; so that there are other questions, some relating
to the Scriptures, some to other things.

Not even in questions ought he
to strive, for the servant of the Lord must keep far from strife, since
God is the God of peace, and what should the servant of the God of
peace have to do with strife?

“But be gentle unto all
men.”

How is it then he says,
“Rebuke with all authority” (Tit. ii. 15.); and again,
“Let no man despise thy youth” (1 Tim. iv. 12.): and again,
“Rebuke them sharply”? (Tit. i. 13.) Because this is
consistent with meekness. For a strong rebuke, if it be given with
gentleness, is most likely to wound deeply: for it is possible, indeed
it is, to touch more effectually by gentleness, than one overawes by
boldness.

“Apt to teach”; that
is, those who are willing to be taught. For “a man that is an
heretic,” he says, “after the first and second admonition
reject.” (Tit. iii. 10.)
“Patient.” He has well added this, for it is a quality
which a teacher above all things ought to possess. All things are vain
without it. And if fishermen do not despair, though often they cast
their nets for a whole day without catching anything, much more should
not we. For see what is the result. From constant teaching, it often
happens that the plow of the word, descending to the depth of the soul,
roots out the evil passion that troubled it. For he that hears often
will at length be affected. A man cannot go on hearing continually
without some effect being produced. Sometimes therefore, when he was on
the point of being persuaded, he is lost by our becoming weary. For the
same thing occurs, as if an unskillful husbandman should in the first
year dig about the vine he had planted, and seeking to reap some fruit
in the second year, and again in the third, and gathering nothing,
should after three years despair, and in the fourth year, when he was
about to receive the recompense of his labors, abandon his vine. And
having said, “Patient,” he is not satisfied, but goes on to
say,

For he that teaches must be
especially careful to do it with meekness. For a soul that wishes to
learn cannot gain any useful instruction from harshness and contention.
For when it would apply, being thus thrown into perplexity, it will
learn nothing. He who would gain any useful knowledge ought above all
things to be well disposed towards his teacher, and if this be not
previously attained, nothing that is requisite or useful can be
accomplished. And no one can be well disposed towards him who is
violent and overbearing. How is it then that he says, “A man that
is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject”? He
speaks there of one incorrigible, of one whom he knows to be diseased
beyond the possibility of cure.

“If God peradventure will
give them repentance to the acknowledging of the
truth.”

Ver. 26. “And that they
may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.”

What he says amounts to this.
Perhaps there will be a reformation. Perhaps! for it is uncertain. So
that we ought to withdraw only from those, of whom we can show plainly,
and concerning whom we are fully persuaded, that whatever be done, they
will not be reformed. “In meekness,” he says. In this
temper, you see, we ought to address ourselves to those who are willing
to learn, and never cease from conversing with them till we have come
to the demonstration.13841384 That is, we ought not to be provoked by their slowness of
apprehension to break off.

“Who are taken captive by
him at his will.” It is truly said, “Who are taken
captive,”13851385 ἐζωγρημένοι, “taken alive,” applied to fish enclosed in a
net. for meanwhile
they float in error. Observe here how he teaches to be humble-minded.
He has not said, if peradventure you should be able, but, “if
peradventure God should grant them a recovery”; if anything be
done, therefore, all 498is of the Lord. Thou plantest, thou waterest but He soweth
and maketh it produce fruit. Let us not therefore be so affected, as if
we ourselves wrought the persuasion, even if we should persuade any
one. “Taken captive by him,” he says, “to His
will.”13861386 Gr. “To His will.” As αὐτοῦ and ἐκείνου must
refer to two different persons, the meaning probably is, “that
they who are taken captive by the devil may be recovered to the will of
God.” And so he takes it. This no one will say relates to
doctrine, but to life. For “His will” is that we live
rightly. But some are in the snare of the devil by reason of their
life, we ought not therefore to be weary even with respect to
these.

“If peradventure,”
he says, “they may recover, that are taken captive, unto His
will.” Now “If peradventure,” implies much
longsuffering. For not to do the will of God is a snare of the
devil.

For as a sparrow, though it be
not wholly enclosed, but only caught by the foot, is still under the
power of him who set the snare; so though we be not wholly subverted,
both in faith and life, but in life only, we are under the power of the
devil. For “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven”; and again, “I know you
not; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. vii.
21–23.) You see there is no advantage from our faith, when our
Lord knows us not: and to the virgins he says the same, “I know
you not.” (Matt. xxv. 12.) What then is the
benefit of virginity, or of many labors, when the Lord knows us not?
And in many places we find men not blamed for their faith, but punished
for their evil life only; as elsewhere, not reproved for evil lives,
but perishing for their pravity of doctrine. For these things hold
together.13871387 Sav. ἀλλήλων
ἔχεται.
Ben. ἔρχεται,
which would be hardly Greek even with a preposition. You see that when we do not the
will of God, we are under the snare of the devil. And often not only
from a bad life, but from one defect, we enter into Hell, where there
are not good qualities to counterbalance it, since the virgins were not
accused of fornication or adultery, nor of envy or ill-will, nor of
drunkenness, nor of unsound faith, but of a failure of oil, that is,
they failed in almsgiving, for that is the oil meant.13881388 So he takes it on Matt. xxv. Hom. lxxviii. al. lxxix. See also on
Philip. i. 30, Hom. iv. 15, and notes, and on Rom. xi. 6, and on Rom.
xiv. 13. St. Jerome and St. Aug. take the oil more generally of good
works, with allusion to Matt. v. 16. And those who were pronounced
accursed in the words, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire,” were not accused of any such crimes, but
because they had not fed Christ.

Moral. Seest thou that a failure in alms-giving is enough to cast a man
into hell fire? For where will he avail who does not give alms? Dost
thou fast every day? So also did those virgins, but it availed them
nothing. Dost thou pray? What of that? prayer without alms-giving is
unfruitful, without that all things are unclean and unprofitable. The
better part of virtue is destroyed. “He that loveth not his
brother,” it is said, “knoweth not God.”
(1
John iv. 8.) And how dost thou love him, when thou dost not even impart to
him of these poor worthless things? Tell me, therefore, dost thou
observe chastity? On what account? From fear of punishment? By no
means. It is of a natural endowment that thou observest it, since if
thou wast chaste from fear of punishment, and didst violence to nature
in submitting to so severe a rule, much more oughtest thou to do alms.
For to govern the desire of wealth, and of bodily pleasures, is not the
same thing. The latter is much more difficult to restrain. And
wherefore? Because the pleasure is natural, and the desire of it is
innate and of natural growth in the body. It is not so with riches.
Herein we are able to resemble God, in showing mercy and pity. When
therefore we have not this quality, we are devoid of all good. He has
not said, “ye shall be like unto your Father, if ye fast,”
nor “if ye be virgins,” nor “if ye pray,” hath
He said, “ye shall be like unto your Father,” for none of
these things can be applied to God, nor are they His acts. But what?
“Be ye merciful, as your Father in Heaven is merciful.”
(Luke
vi. 36.) This is the work of God. If therefore thou hast not this, what
hast thou? He says: “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.”
(Hosea
vi. 6.) God made Heaven, and earth, and sea. Great works these, and
worthy of His wisdom! But by none of these has He so powerfully
attracted human nature to Himself, as by mercy and the love of mankind.
For that indeed is the work of power and wisdom and goodness. But it is
far more so that He became a servant. Do we not for this more
especially admire Him? are we not for this still more amazed at Him?
Nothing attracts God to us so much as mercy. And the prophets from
beginning to end discourse upon this subject. But I speak not of mercy
that is accompanied with covetousness. That is not mercy. For it is not
the root of the thorn but of the olive that produces the oil13891389 He plays, as elsewhere, on the words ἔλεον
and ἔλαιον.; so it is not the root of
covetousness, of iniquity, or of rapine, that produces mercy. Do not
put a slander on almsgiving. Do not cause it to be evil spoken of by
all. If thou committest robbery for this, that thou mayest give alms,
nothing is more wicked than thy almsgiving. For when it is produced by
rapine, it is not almsgiving, it is inhumanity, it is cruelty, it is an
insult to God. If Cain so offended, by offering inferior gifts of his
own, shall he not 499offend, who offers the goods of another? An offering is
nothing else but a sacrifice, a purification, not a pollution. And thou
who darest not to pray with unclean hands, dost thou offer the dirt and
filth of robbery, and think thou doest nothing wrong? Thou sufferest
not thy hands to be full of dirt and filth, but having first cleansed
these, thou offerest. Yet that filth is no charge against thee, while
the other deserves reproach and blame. Let it not therefore be our
consideration, how we may offer prayers and oblations with clean hands,
but how the things offered may be pure. If one, after having washed a
vessel clean, should fill it with unclean gifts, would it not be
ridiculous mockery? Let the hands be clean; and they will be so, if we
wash them not with water only, but first with righteousness. This is
the purifier of the hands. But if they be full of unrighteousness,
though they be washed a thousand times, it avails nothing. “Wash
you, make you clean” (Isa. i. 16.), He says, but
does He add, “Go to the baths, the lakes, the rivers”? No;
but what? “Put away the evil of your doings from your
souls.” This is to be clean.13901390 B.,
though usually here far inferior to the printed text, seems best in
these words. Sav. has, “That is, be clean: this it is that
cleanses,” &c. This it is
to be cleansed from defilement. This is real purity. The other is of
little use; but this bestows upon us confidence towards God. The one
may be obtained by adulterers, thieves, murderers, by worthless, and
dissolute, and effeminate persons, and especially the latter. For they
are ever careful of the cleanliness of their bodies, and scented with
perfumes, cleansing their sepulcher.13911391 σῆμα. For their
body13921392 σῶμα. is but a sepulcher, since the soul is
dead within it. This cleanness therefore may be theirs,13931393 B. reads μετεῖναι, for μετιέναι. but not that which is
inward.

To wash the body is no great
matter. That is a Jewish purification, senseless13941394 Sav. “useless.” and unprofitable, where purity within is
wanting. Suppose one to labor under a putrefying sore, or consuming
ulcer; let him wash his body ever so much, it is of no advantage. And
if the putrefaction of the body receives no benefit from cleansing and
disguising the outward appearance; when the soul is infected with
rottenness, what is gained by the purity of the body? Nothing! Our
prayers ought to be pure, and pure they cannot be, if they are sent
forth from a corrupt soul, and nothing so corrupts the soul as avarice
and rapine. But there are some who after committing numberless sins
during the day, wash themselves in the evening and enter the churches,
holding up their hands with much confidence, as if by the washing of
the bath they had put off all their guilt. And if this were the case,
it would be a vast advantage to use the bath daily! I would not myself
cease to frequent the baths,13951395 This was thought too luxurious for persons of devout life. See
Euseb. ii. 23, and St. Clem. Al. Pædag. iii. 9, who recommends
providing for cleanliness by other means. if it made us
pure, and cleansed us from our sins! But these things are trifling and
ridiculous, the toys of children. It is not the filth of the body, but
the impurity of the soul, to which God is averse. For He says,
“Blessed are the pure”—does He say in body?
No—“in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. v.
8.)
And what says the Prophet: “Create in me a clean heart, O
God.” (Ps. li. 10.) And again,
“Wash my heart from wickedness.” (Jer. iv. 14.)

It is of great use to be in the
habit of doing good actions. See how trifling and unprofitable these
washings are. But when the soul is prepossessed by a habit, it does not
depart from it, nor does it venture to draw nigh in prayer, till it has
fulfilled these ceremonies. For instance, we have brought ourselves to
a habit of washing and praying, and without washing we do not think it
right to pray. And we do not willingly pray with unwashed hands, as if
we should offend God, and violate our conscience. Now if this trifling
custom has so great power over us, and is observed every day; if we had
brought ourselves to a habit of almsgiving, and had determined so
constantly to observe it, as never to enter a house of prayer with
empty hands, the point would be gained. For great is the power of habit
both in good things and in evil, and when this carries us on, there
will be little trouble. Many are in the habit of crossing13961396 σφραγίζειν. themselves continually, and they need no
one to remind them of it, but often when the mind is wandering after
other things, the hand is involuntarily drawn by custom, as by some
living teacher, to make the sign. Some have brought themselves into a
habit of not swearing at all, and therefore neither willingly nor
unwillingly do they ever do it. Let us then bring ourselves into such a
habit of almsgiving.

What labors were it worth to us
to discover such a remedy. For say, were there not the relief of
almsgiving, while we still by our numberless sins rendered ourselves
liable to Divine vengeance, should we not have lamented sadly? Should
we not have said, O that it were possible by our wealth to wash away
our sins, and we would have parted with it all! O that by our riches we
could put away the wrath of God, then we would not spare our substance?
For if we do this in sickness, and at the point of death we say,
“If it were possible to buy off death, such an one would give all
his possessions”; much more in this matter. For see how great is
the love of God for man. He has granted us power to buy off not
temporal but 500eternal death. Do not purchase, He says, this short life, but that
life that is everlasting. It is that I sell thee, not the other: I do
not mock thee. Didst thou gain the present life, thou hadst gained
nothing. I know the worth of that which I offer thee. The bargainers
and traffickers in worldly goods do not act thus. They, when they can13971397 B. ἐξῇ for ἐξῆν. impose on whom they will, give a little
to receive a great deal. It is not so with God. He gives the greater by
far for the less.

Tell me, if you were to go to a
merchant, and he were to set before you two stones, one of little
worth,13981398 B. counterfeit. and the other very precious, and
sure to fetch a large amount of wealth; if he allowed you for the price
of the cheap one to carry off the more costly, should you complain of
him? No! You would rather admire his liberality. So now, two lives are
set before us, the one temporal, the other eternal. These God offers us
for sale, but He would sell us the latter rather than the former. Why
do we complain, like silly children, that we receive the more
precious?13991399 B. reads ὄψει for ὅτι. “We take the value by sight.” Is it possible then to purchase
life for money? Yes, when what we bestow is our own, and not the
property of another; when we do not practice an imposture. But, you
say, henceforth the goods are mine. They are not thine after rapine.
They are still thy neighbor’s, though thou wert a thousand times
the master of them. For if thou shouldest receive a deposit, it would
not be thine own even for the short season that the depositor was
traveling, though it might be laid up with thee. If therefore that is
not ours, which we received with the consent and thanks of those who
deposited it, even for the short period that we retain it, much less is
that ours, which we plundered against the will of its owner. He is the
master of it, however long thou mayest withhold it. But Virtue is14001400 B.
“those other things are.” really our own; as for money, even our own is
not strictly ours, much less that of others. Today it is ours,
to-morrow it belongs to another. What is of virtue is our own
possession. This does not suffer loss, like other things, but is
entirely possessed by all who have it. This therefore let us acquire,
and let us despise riches, that we may be able to attain those real
goods, of which God grant that we may be thought worthy to partake,
through the grace and lovingkindness, &c.

1386 Gr. “To His will.” As αὐτοῦ and ἐκείνου must
refer to two different persons, the meaning probably is, “that
they who are taken captive by the devil may be recovered to the will of
God.” And so he takes it.

1387 Sav. ἀλλήλων
ἔχεται.
Ben. ἔρχεται,
which would be hardly Greek even with a preposition.